


Love, Jackson

by TVTime



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Based on Love Simon, Beacon Hills Lacrosse Team, Closeted Character, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Emails, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Love, Friendship, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Holidays, Jackson-centric, Lacrosse, Love Simon Retelling, M/M, Malia Tate & Jackson Whittemore are Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 05:33:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16469705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVTime/pseuds/TVTime
Summary: This is aLove, Simonretelling featuring Jackson as the protagonist, a closeted but popular high school jock with a sister (Malia) and close friends (Lydia, Danny, and Liam) whom he can't quite work up the nerve to come out to.Jackson begins a secret email relationship with the mysterious 'Red,' who gets him better than anyone else but who isn't ready to reveal his true identity. Could Red be Jackson's friend, Aiden? His lacrosse co-captain, Scott McCall? Scott's quick-witted pal, Stiles Stilinski? The quiet, unassuming, Isaac Lahey?Before Jackson can unravel the mystery, his nemesis, Theo Raeken, discovers his secret and uses it to blackmail Jackson into helping him get close to Malia. Can Jackson figure out a way to keep Theo quiet without hurting his friends or will everything blow up in his face and ruin his chances with Red?NEW CHAPTER COMING HALLOWEEN 2019





	Love, Jackson

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a new holiday mini-series I’m doing that’s a retelling of the movie, “Love, Simon” but with Jackson as the protagonist and Teen Wolf characters replacing the movie characters. As with the movie, Jackson will have several possible love interests whom he thinks he might be corresponding with as he tries to figure out who his mystery guy is. The love interests are Aiden, Scott, Stiles, and Isaac with only one of the four being the real love interest and the other three being false love interests. But also as with the movie, the story focuses a good bit on his relationships with his friends and family. 
> 
> This first chapter isn’t holiday themed and instead serves to introduce the characters and premise. The remaining three chapters will be for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

_My life is perfect. I want to make that very clear before we go any further. I’m not some loser who needs to_

Jackson’s fingers froze on the keys, and he frowned at the screen. Insulting the guy probably wasn’t the best tactic for a first email. Worse, his words were familiar and comfortable. _Too_ familiar and comfortable, too him. Jackson was the most popular guy at school. _Everyone_ knew and admired him. Whoever this lonely loser– Err, kindred spirit with a secret– was he would figure out it was Jackson before he finished the first paragraph. Better to let him think Jackson was just some unremarkable guy.

_I’m just like you for the most part. I have a sister I actually like, not that I'd ever tell her that._

Jackson snickered and shook his head fondly as the sound of grunting and slashing drifted up the hall from Malia’s room and through Jackson’s open bedroom door.

“I’m gonna kill you and burn your village, mother fucker!”

“It’s just a game, Malia!” Jackson shouted.

“Bite me!” she shouted back. “Goddamn it!” Her character groaned dramatically and the music stopped, indicating she’d been killed. “Hey, Jack, you wanna hop on and do a few maps? Your character needs the XP bad. I’ll help you power level.”

Jackson rolled his eyes. He had only made a character because she insisted. “Nah, not tonight, Mal. Gotta study.”

“Lame!” The adventure music kicked back on, this time louder than before.

“Turn it down!” Jackson glared into the empty hallway and leaned back in his chair to slam the door. 

“If you were playing it wouldn’t bother you,” Malia shouted, her voice only barely muffled.

“Be nice to each other or we’re having a game night!” Mom yelled from downstairs.

Jackson’s eyes widened and the retort he had ready for his sister died on his lips. A moment later the sound of Malia’s game dropped to a background hum.

Jackson’s phone vibrated on the desk as he refocused on the email he was writing.

Mom: _You’re welcome_

Jackson: [Eye-rolling Emoji]

_My parents are obnoxious and annoying...but not the worst. We’ve had some issues in the past, but I know I can count on them, and that’s what matters._

Jackson sighed. _Issues_ didn’t exactly cover it, but he wasn’t about to tell some stranger on the internet that he and his sister were adopted and that Jackson hadn’t been able to tell either of his parents he loved them since he had found out five years ago. Maybe that would change after another five years of family therapy. Jackson would be in law school by then, but he doubted his mom would let him quit going. He probably wouldn’t argue. Even his dad dropped everything to go to their weekly sessions. He scheduled his client meetings around them, and the family did makeup sessions if he had to cancel because of a trial. Jackson would probably become a partner at Dad’s firm when he graduated. Maybe they’d ride together. Of course Jackson would have the nicer car so they’d take his.

As if on cue, his dad knocked on his door. “Son, are you having private time?”

Jackson cringed and minimized the email window, replacing it with a generic page about the Articles of the Constitution he had been studying for a civics exam. “I wouldn’t tell you if I was.”

“So you are?”

“Just come in.”

“Wait, you’re not, right?”

Jackson groaned and leaned back in his chair to open the door.

“Oh good, your pants are on.”

“I hate you.” 

Dad chuckled and leaned against the doorframe. “I remember what it was like to be seventeen. There were only three things in the world, and two of them were boobs.”

Jackson cleared his throat and looked away. “Right.”

“I was just looking at my calendar.”

“Riveting story.”

“Next month there’s a father-son charity golf tournament at the club. It’s to benefit the hungry. Hmm, or...” Dad pulled his phone from his pocket and swiped through it. “Actually it might have been for a disease. I don’t remember, and it looks like I didn’t make a note. But anyway I signed us up. Just don’t say anything bad about hungry, diseased people and we’ll be fine.”

“ _Great._ ” Jackson’s stomach sank. He hated playing golf with his dad. It was awkward and boring.

“Don’t worry, it’s a father-son tournament, but I’m sure they’ll be some fine young fillies in attendance too.”

Jackson scrubbed a hand over his face.

Dad slapped Jackson’s shoulder and winked. “Two out of three things, am I right?”

“I need to have some private time now.” Jackson stood and backed his dad out of the room.

“Oh!” Dad’s eyes widened, and he held up his hands.

“From you.” Jackson closed and locked his bedroom door.

“Just don’t use your credit card on any sketchy sites,” Dad called through the door.

“Go away.” Jackson sank back into his seat and pulled the email up.

_Some of my friends I’ve known forever._

He glanced at the bulletin board hanging on the wall behind his computer and covered in printed photographs, most of them featuring him and Lydia and Danny. The whole thing had been a birthday gift from Lydia the previous summer. He pretended to think it was cheesy and lame, but he found himself looking at it and smiling more than he cared to admit. 

_Others it just feels like I’ve known forever._

His gaze landed on a snapshot of himself and Liam side by side on the field with their fists in the air as they celebrated a lacrosse victory the previous season. Liam was two years younger than Jackson and they had only been friends since the beginning of last year when Liam had joined the team, but he was already like the little brother Jackson had never had.

Next to that picture was an even more recent one that must have been taken only days before Lydia made the board. He and Aiden were clutching their stomachs and gagging dramatically as Danny and Ethan kissed in the background. The twins had only lived in Beacon Hills about three weeks at that point. Danny and Ethan’s relationship had been immediate and intense. Now four months later, it showed no signs of cooling. 

_So I'm just like you. I have a perfectly normal, boring life._

Jackson let out a trembling sigh and completed the visual circuit across his bulletin board, his eyes finishing where they always did on a group shot of his entire lacrosse team...shirtless. It was a good thing his bedroom door was still locked.

_Except I have one huge-ass secret._

* * *

“So I found this really cool skin online.”

Jackson whipped his head around and grimaced at his sister as she followed him outside that morning for school.

Malia rolled her eyes and stopped on the sidewalk as he pressed the button to open the garage. “ _Gaming_ skin, Jack. To change the way the characters and interface look.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Yeah, I can make everyone look like coyote people.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

She shrugged. “It’ll be cute.”

“If you say so.” He ducked into the garage and went to his Porsche. 

“Later.” She waved and went to the end of the driveway where her truck was parked. 

Their vehicles had been gifts from their parents on their sixteenth birthdays. She was a year younger, which meant Jackson had to spend a year driving her to school. It wasn’t that bad, but he was glad he had the space free to pick up Liam this year.

Although his first stop was Danny’s house. He pulled up to the curb and honked. Danny jogged out and hopped in the back, leaving the front seat open for Lydia. 

“Dude, you wouldn’t believe the dream I had about Ethan last night.” 

Jackson smirked at him in the mirror and shook his head. “I don’t need a blow by blow.”

Danny snickered and squeezed Jackson’s shoulder. “Interesting choice of words.”

“Why are we friends again?” Jackson patted Danny’s fingers and pulled back onto the street.

“Being best bros with one of the school’s only two gay guys makes you seem like less of a raging dick.” 

“Ahh, yes, that’s right.”

Danny hovered his hand over Jackson’s head menacingly. 

Jackson narrowed his eyes at Danny in the mirror. “If you mess up my hair.” 

“What are you gonna do?”

“Make you late for school while I go home and fix it,” Jackson answered with a chuckle.

Danny laughed and settled back into his seat. “Anyway, let’s just say I’m praying Ethan’s dad has to work late tonight.”

Deucalion Steiner, the new hotshot attorney at his dad’s firm. Danny didn’t need to worry. The guy practically lived at the office. He made Jackson’s dad look like a homebody. 

“What about Aiden?”

“I was hoping you could entertain him for me.” Danny gave Jackson a pleading look in the mirror.

Jackson cleared his throat, doing his best not to _entertain_ those thoughts with Danny in the car. “No can do. It’s family night.”

“Ugh, maybe Lydia will take him,” Danny answered as they pulled up to the Martin residence.

Jackson didn’t honk because he didn’t feel like being lectured on manners before he’d had his morning coffee. She was trying to train him to get out and go to the door to collect her, but he sent a text instead.

“Oh my god, you’re not going to believe the new post on Whisper Wall!” Lydia said as she took her place in the passenger seat. “Someone admitted to leaking a sex tape of her _mom_ to get even with her for making her break up with her boyfriend.”

“Wait, why did she even _have_ a sex tape of her mom?” Danny asked, his seatbelt straining as he propped his elbows between the two seats.

“I don’t know. It wasn’t in the post.” Lydia looked up and squealed at Danny. “I’m going to reply and ask!”

Jackson groaned and tuned out their conversation as he drove to Liam’s house. Lydia was obsessed with that site. It was local to Beacon Hills High School, which meant everyone who posted secrets was potentially someone they knew. It made the gossip more interesting, but Jackson couldn’t see the appeal of airing your dirty laundry to people who might actually catch your scent.

Jackson pulled up to Liam’s house, but before he could honk, the front door swung open and Liam raced out, bounding down the sidewalk like he thought Jackson might drive off if he took too long, which Jackson wouldn’t do because Liam was his bro.

“Looks like he’s in an energetic mood today,” Danny said as he slid across the backseat so Liam wouldn’t have to go around.

“Today?” Lydia laughed and went back to her makeup. 

“Thanks forcomin’ pickmeup! ‘wasboutohaveargumentwithmydad, youshowedupjustintime. Arewegettingcoffeetoday?” Liam bounced in his seat and gave Jackson a hopeful look in the mirror.

“You’re getting decaf.”

“Decaf?!” Liam waved his arms and collapsed against the seat.

A few minutes later they were pulling up to the drive through at their usual morning coffee shop. 

“Hey, let’s get an iced coffee for Malia too,” Liam said, resting his chin on the back of Jackson’s seat and tapping his shoulder. “Almond milk, no sugar, and light ice.”

Jackson side-eyed him. “How do you know that?”

Liam cleared his throat and sat back. “I dunno, we’ve had coffee a few times.”

“What? When?”

“Just order the coffee, Jackson,” Lydia said with a wink at Liam.

“But–”

“Order the coffee!” Lydia, Danny, and Liam all chanted.

Jackson grumbled and placed their order.

When they got to school, Jackson let Liam carry Malia’s coffee, but he snagged it back as they reached the hall that would take them to her locker. “I’ll give it to her.”

“But–”

“You have to get all the way across campus to the little kid- I mean, _sophomore_ lockers. Better get walking.”

Liam growled.

Jackson patted Liam’s shoulder. “Yeah, that makes you seem real mature, buddy.” 

“Hang on.” Liam flipped his bag around and grabbed a Sharpie from the back pocket. He gripped the bottom of Malia’s glass and drew an animal paw on the side. “There.”

“What’s this?” Jackson eyed the drawing with distaste.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. She’ll get it.” He returned Jackson’s shoulder pat and shot him a satisfied smile as he walked away.

Jackson grumbled and went to meet his sister at her locker. “Here, we stopped for coffee.”

Malia took a sip before her eyes landed on the little cartoon paw. “Oh, it’s from Liam!”

Jackson growled.

“Real mature, Jack.” She rolled her eyes and slammed her locker.

“Are you bothering my girl, Whittemore?” 

Jackson and Malia exchanged frowns as Theo Raeken appeared behind Malia.

“I’m not your girl, Theo.”

“You could be,” Theo said with a smug smile that made Jackson want to punch him in the face.

“Pass.” She squeezed Jackson’s arm as she stepped around him. “Later, Jack.”

“Bye Mal.”

“That’s cold, Malia,” Theo called after her. “You better change your mind fast. All this isn’t going to sit on the shelf long.”

“What is wrong with you?” Jackson shoved Theo and stepped in front of him, making sure to block his view of Malia. He saw the way Theo was eying her.

Theo smirked at Jackson and stretched dramatically, flexing his arms. “For one thing my smile has this nasty habit of making girls wet. Then they see my biceps and it’s game over.” He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Gets old, ya know? I like more of a challenge, and your sister’s full of spunk.” He leaned in and whispered in Jackson’s ear. “Or at least she will be.”

Jackson snarled and slammed Theo against the bank of lockers.

Theo held up his hands and swept his eyes over the crowd of students that had stopped. “Everyone saw that. Jackson Whittemore should be expelled for violence. I was just minding my own business and...”

Jackson was already out of earshot as he hustled down the hallway fuming.

 

“So these two are sexiling me tonight,” Aiden said that afternoon at lacrosse practice as he flicked a thumb over his shoulder at Danny and Ethan. 

The four of them were standing in line waiting their turns to take warm-up shots. Danny was the team’s usual goalie, but Coach had Lahey in goal today for practice. He wasn’t that bad and would make a decent relief goalie if Danny was tired or injured.

“You could just say we wanna have a date night.” Ethan lightly shoved his brother.

“I _could_ but let’s be real about what you guys are doing.” Aiden chuckled and rested his hand on Jackson’s shoulder as he leaned closer. “Ten-to-one they don’t even turn on a movie.”

Jackson laughed, enjoying the handsome grin on Aiden’s face and the little line of moisture that ran along the side of his neck. “They probably won’t even have _dinner._ ”

Danny laughed and trailed a hand down Ethan’s chest and stomach, stopping just shy of his waist. “What I put in my mouth is none of your business, Jackson.”

The four of them cracked up, only stopping when they heard the whoosh of the net and their teammates _oohing._ Kira Yukimura had scored again. They high fived her as she jogged past to return to the back of the line.

“Anyway, you wanna do something with me tonight?” Aiden asked, his hand once again on Jackson’s shoulder.

_Like you wouldn’t believe!_

“I can’t.” Jackson sighed. “It’s family night. My mom’ll flip if I try to cancel.”

Disappointment flickered across Aiden’s face, but then he was smiling like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Okay then. I’ll just hang out at a coffee shop or something.”

Jackson was about to suggest he hang out with Liam or one of the other guys when Coach Finstock called him away.

“What’s up, Coach?”

“My office.” He turned and shouted back onto the field, “McCall, you too!”

Scott McCall jogged over and they followed Coach Finstock back to the gym and the small athletic office that adjoined the weight room. Jackson took one of the plastic chairs in front of Coach’s desk and McCall sank into the other, but before Coach could take his place behind the desk, his cell phone rang.

“I have to take this,” he said as he checked the display. “Stay here.” 

“What do you think he wants?” McCall asked as soon as Coach was out of the room.

“How should I know, McCall? What do I look like, a mind reader?”

“Why do you always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Get super defensive when people ask a simple question.”

“Because it’s a very simple question from a very simple person, and I don’t like having my time wasted,” Jackson answered.

McCall’s eyebrows drew together and his bottom lip puffed out slightly in a pout. 

“You look like a kicked puppy.”

“You’re a dick.” 

“Ooh, and the puppy bites.” Jackson trembled his hands with mock fear.

“My friend Theo says you pushed him.”

“Your friend Theo is a douchebag.” 

“No, he’s not.” McCall’s lip did the pouty thing again. It was sort of cute. “He wanted to report you, but me and Stiles talked him out of it.”

“What do you want, a thank you?” Jackson crossed his arms.

“I mean, I don’t expect one, but it would be nice.”

“Thank you,” Jackson said, just to surprise him.

A grin spread across McCall’s face. 

_Damn, when did he get so attractive?_

“You’re welcome.” He held eye contact with Jackson as he said it, and the smile didn’t fade from his lips. 

Coach chose that moment to come back, sparing Jackson from the embarrassment of getting lost in Scott McCall’s ridiculous, soulful brown eyes. It turned out all he wanted was for them to watch recordings of highlights from the Greendale-Riverside game so they would know what to expect against Riverside in a couple weeks.

 

That night after Jackson ate dinner with his family and they watched a movie, he went upstairs to memorize the Articles of the Constitution for a civics exam he had the next day. He was up to Article IV when Lydia called.

“Kind of busy Lyds, what’s up?”

“Oh my god, everyone is talking about the new post on Whisper Wall!”

“Really? _Everyone,_ or maybe just you very loudly?” 

“Ugh, you’re the worst. Go read it. It looks like Danny and Ethan aren’t alone anymore!”

Jackson blinked. “Well yeah, they have each other.”

“No, I mean there’s a closeted gay kid at school. That’s what the post is about.”

Jackson’s stomach flipped and he hurried to open a new tab in his browser and pull up the Whisper Wall site, but he had to play it cool so Lydia wouldn’t realize how excited he was and get suspicious.

“Doesn’t seem very interesting to me. Statistically there must be dozens of gay people at school.” At least that’s what Jackson kept telling himself. “You can talk at me about it tomorrow. I gotta study.”

“You are the most boring person on the face of the Earth, Jackson Whittemore.”

“Okay bye, thanks for calling.”

Jackson hung up before she could protest and turned his undivided attention to the new Whisper Wall post.

_Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck on a roller coaster. One minute I’m at the peak, looking down on the world like I can have it all. Then the next I’m plummeting to the bottom and it feels like I’m going to throw up. It’s like that over and over all day long. Because most of my life is great...but nobody knows I'm gay. -Red_

The post featured a picture of an amusement park with a huge red roller coaster towering in the background.

Jackson swallowed. It was like the guy was reading his mind. He glanced at the contact info: redwhine162@gmail.com

Acting on impulse, Jackson pulled up Gmail and clicked to make a new account. He needed something as random and unassociated with him as Red’s email address. He scanned the room, searching for inspiration. He smiled as his gaze landed on the bulletin board over his computer, and he keyed in his new email address: Hiddensnapshots0618@gmail.com

The numbers came from the timestamp printed on the bottom of one of the pictures. Now all Jackson had to do was figure out what to say. 

_Dear Red,_

_My life is perfect. I want to make that very clear before we go any further. I’m not some loser who needs to_

Jackson’s fingers froze on the keys, and he frowned at the screen. Insulting the guy probably wasn’t the best tactic for a first email. Instead Jackson emphasized their commonality and told Red a little bit about his family and friends without being specific. After a few interruptions, Jackson was ready to conclude his email. 

_So I'm just like you. I have a perfectly normal, boring life._

_Except I have one huge ass secret._

Jackson meant to say it but ironically he couldn’t get the word to come out. He automatically signed the email _Jackson_ but caught himself before he sent it. His French book sitting on the edge of the desk provided another burst of playful inspiration and he signed it _Jacques_ instead. He reasoned the name was different enough to avoid the guy immediately thinking of him, but similar enough that if he did think of Jackson when running through the list of possibilities it would seem _too_ obvious.

Now all he had to do was wait and see if Red responded.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter will be the Halloween chapter and will feature Jackson and several of the other characters going to a costume party. I’m going to try my best to have it finished and posted tomorrow, but more than likely it won’t be posted until later in the week, maybe around Saturday or Sunday. 
> 
> A quick note about Jackson’s car: On the show he drives a Porsche 911 model, but that’s a two-door, and I need him to have a four-door for the sake of the story. So I’m thinking in the story he’s driving the Porsche Panamera instead. It could also be the Cayenne or the Macan, but the Panamera is closer in style. LOL, but I don’t actually care or know much about cars. I just did some research since it seems like something that would be important to Jackson. It’s completely up to reader imagination what type of truck Malia drives.


End file.
